The present invention is directed to a system and method for detecting airborne allergen particles and for providing an alarm or operating a filtering system if the detected amount of allergen particles is above a predetermined level.
Many individuals suffer from allergies to airborne particles such as dust, pollen and the like which are often present in the environmental air breathed by the individual. The particulates to which many individuals are sensitive are typically in the 5 to 50 micron range. The presence of such particles in air breathed by sensitive or allergic individuals may give rise to symptoms such as asthma, coughing, sneezing, as well as skin rashes and anaphylaxis. Knowledge or warning of the presence of high levels of allergenic particles in the environmental air is helpful to such individuals, potentially enabling them to take medication, leave the area, or activate allergen removing filters, before the onset of serious symptoms.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,001,463 of Hamburger an allergen particulate detecting apparatus is described in which air is blown through a passageway in which an allergen particle sensor is mounted for trapping allergen-sized particles. The output signal of the sensor is dependent on the amount of trapped particles, and an alarm is activated if the signal is above a predetermined level.